MARGAO
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai on Saturday said the government must shed its lethargy and disinterest immediately and put in all the resources that they have before joblessness becomes uncontrollable, and turn into a long-term economic and social issue.
Terming unemployment a silent killer under BJP regime, the Goa Forward chief said the inability of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to grasp the impact of joblessness on society is the biggest obstacle in tackling unemployment in Goa.
“With Sawant handling Home, Education and Finance, he still can’t understand that high unemployment will make his failures in these departments become disasters. Also the propaganda that entrepreneurship and startups are substitutes to regular jobs misleads and misdirects our efforts to create jobs, and masks our government’s failure in this front. While the IT Minister is saying we’re leaping ahead in start-ups and entrepreneurship, why is the unemployment rate 16.2%? This is the contradiction that I am raising, and we must address. The youth of Goa are victims of government’s fantasy,” he told the media.
He added: “A Job Mela held in November which we all know was a disaster with only 557 applicants out of 14,000 getting offer letters. All these events do, is to raise hopes of the youth when the government themselves know that they are shams. The Goa government’s indifference, disregard and callousness in addressing the unemployment issue is pushing Goa to a grave situation that will have repercussions on all aspects of Goan life such as law and order, social stability, migration and economic inequity.”
Saying he is appalled that despite the unemployment rate remaining on double figures for years, Pramod Sawant as Education Minister has neither grasped the gravity of the situation, nor has any plans to understand it.
“Unemployment is a silent killer of our society. I warn the Pramod Sawant government that if it’s not tackled today, it will directly impact Goa’s way of life tomorrow, and we will realise it only when we see the dire consequences in other areas like crime. Large, sustainable employment opportunities cannot be created without great foresight, in-depth planning and meticulous preparation,” he said.
Saying the government has rejected the Niti Aayog data on unemployment, Sardesai said, “If anyone is serious about finding a solution to the unemployment issue, like us, has to assess the data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) on the employment situation and trends.”
“Unemployment is a serious issue, and there is need today to address this issue for the sake of our youth, and also for the future of Goa and peaceful living. The data we have currently paints a picture of incompetence, mismanagement and poverty of ideas. Even the Union government schemes when it comes in Pramod Sawant’s hands become useless, worthless, and lifeless,” he added.
